Corus International Advances Global Brand and Engagement Strategy with Appointment of Jim Olson as Chief Communications and Collaboration Officer
To advance its poverty-ending mission, Corus welcomes former Starbucks and United Airlines executive with three decades of global communications leadership
Corus International today announced the appointment of Jim Olson as Chief Communications and Collaboration Officer. Olson’s selection brings one of the most seasoned voices in corporate storytelling and crisis communications to advance Corus’s global voice and impact.
Olson will join Corus on May 29 — reporting to CEO Daniel Speckhard. He will be based at the organization’s Washington, D.C. headquarters.
Olson will lead a unified approach to communications, brand and external engagement. In this newly created role, he will connect the organization’s work across global health, humanitarian response, education and economic development into a clear, compelling narrative that accelerates progress toward ending extreme poverty.
Speckhard noted, “Jim’s experience as a master communicator and corporate executive underscores Corus’s commitment to leading the transformation in international economic development, health and humanitarian space. Jim will serve as the chief architect of the organization’s external voice, strengthening its position as a trusted and innovative global development and humanitarian actor while building deeper, more meaningful engagement with governments, the private sector, donors, partners and communities worldwide.”
Over the course of his career, Olson has held top communications roles at United Airlines, Starbucks and US Airways, helping guide organizations through periods of growth and disruption.
He led the communications response to the emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 — widely known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.” He also orchestrated the crisis response following the terrorist bombing of Starbucks’ flagship store in Jakarta. In each case, his work centered on clarity, accountability, and maintaining employee and public trust under pressure.
More recently, Olson was Head of Brand and Communications for Avelo Airlines, the first new U.S. airline in more than a decade. He previously served as Executive in Residence and Chief Communications Officer at African Leadership University, where he supported the institution’s growth across the continent — including its highly acclaimed Rwanda and Mauritius campuses.
In joining Corus, Olson said, “I’m honored to join Corus International at such a transformative moment for the organization and consequential time for our world. Their innovative, collaborative approach to ending extreme poverty is a life-saving vision the world needs to see, hear and understand. I look forward to working alongside the mission-driven Corus team to help illuminate that story — and partner with others who share our commitment to make a lasting, meaningful impact across the planet.”
Olson has advised organizations including Nissan, Boeing, Microsoft and DHL, and serves as a Trustee at Albertus Magnus College. Additionally, he has taught strategic storytelling and corporate reputation as a professor of practice at Syracuse University and guest lectured at other universities, conferences and organizations around the world, including the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. His work has focused on helping institutions communicate with clarity and authenticity in complex, fast-moving environments.
Olson is also the author of “Tailwind: A Compass for Turning Your Setback Story into Your Comeback Legacy,” a recently released book shaped by his personal experience navigating a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and vision loss. Drawing on crisis leadership principles, the book explores how individuals, leaders and organizations can respond to adversity with courage, resilience and purpose.
Olson earned an MBA from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in Public Relations from Syracuse University. He has visited and worked in 60 countries across six continents.
